Created of wood, bone, skin, metals, and earth, it is an amazing thing to behold the many ways people around this globe have used nature’s materials to bring forth music! The Bromkas have a long history of first-hand explorations and experimentations with world music in its many forms. Their extensive travels have lead them to play a variety of truly exotic instruments, from a great many different countries and cultures. Audiences love their hurdy gurdy, hammered dulcimer, the wide variety of bagpipes, mandolins, cittern, and Celtic harps. This musical journey travels to the far reaches of Asia, to include the magical Chinese Harp called “guzheng” and “erhu” fiddle, Turkish oud & baglama, Mideastern zither “kanun,”and a raft of percussion and other rare instruments! Hear stories for each of their instruments and musical selections, be it travels in Europe and Asia, gifts from mysterious strangers, or the instruments built in the Bromkas' own studios. This multicultural musical journey is a fascinating, fun learning experience for folks of all ages.

The Bromkas offer a memorable musical journey through the French Provinces! As traveling musicians who visit France each year to participate in regional music and dance festival, John and Sondra have a large repertoire of songs, instruments, and even lively circle and line dances that will be chosen to appeal to the age level and needs of your group. Rare and distinctive regional instruments in their collection include: Breton and Auvergnat bagpipes, hurdy gurdy, flutet et tambourin, more! There are also French songs especially for dancing. (Artists may present a concert of musical traditions, or a combination program of traditional dances, instruments, and songs. Other possibilities include participatory crepe-making activity, more!)

Celtic Christmas and Mid-Winter celebrations through the centuries were a twelve-day flurry of spirited songs, mythical airs, quaint traditions, and mirthful customs and stories. The duo of John and Sondra Bromka offer an evocative and festive collection of seasonal music on their diverse array of Celtic instruments including harp, hammered dulcimer, 2 kinds of historic bagpipes, button accordeon, Irish cittern, bodhran, and guitar.

Discover the stories and secrets behind some of the most rare, mysterious, and magical musical instruments of history. How were they invented? How do they work? Hear the tales that are told about the person who was said to be the first player of the bagpipes in ancient Rome. Discover the secret behind stories that claim that fiddles actually have magical powers. What is the tallest stringed instruments ever invented? Are there actually wind instruments that you don't blow into? Can a harp ever play itself? What happens when you touch it? Children will be invited to try the harp and find out for themselves!
Bells & Motley have discovered that young children (as well as adults) are enthralled by the unusual sounds and stories behind their unique collection of historic instruments, including rommelpot, hurdy gurdy, early bagpipes, harp, hand-made fiddles, and tromba marina. Audiences are especially excited to hear that the Bromkas, in addition to being musicians, historians, and veteran storytellers, are also expert instrument builders. An unforgettable interactive enrichment experience.

Participatory songs, dances, and magical traditions of Merrie Olde England that help celebrate the arrival of this loveliest season of the year. Seasonal concert/workshop combination. By request, program can be expanded to include traditional maypole dancing (see below)

Nature, Music, and Instruments Around the World and Across Time! Through time, the sounds of nature have inspired wonderful musical, poetic, and artistic dreams all around the world. From rushing waterfalls, to gentle drops of rain and melting icicles… to birdsong and crickets... to diverse sounds of the four seasons, Bells & Motley are excited to bring young audiences on a musical journey using a gamut of evocative instruments including harp and medieval fiddles, exotic zithers from Turkey and China, and many other rare exotic historical instruments, for a good measure of total surprise. A beautiful introduction to the evocative powers of music for audiences of all ages.

Sondra and John Bromka use their beguiling antique instrument collection to bring a lively taste of New York State's cultural character along our famous water way during the 1800s. This is a up-close, interactive concert that includes aires, dance tunes, and singalongs from a variety of immigrant traditions, accompanied by Irish harp, bagpipes, pennywhistle, French hurdy gurdy, German hackbrett (hammered dulcimer), African-American banjo, and English squeezeboxes... our music offers the special flavor of each culture's unique contributions.

What was musical entertainment like in George Washington’s day? Ballroom jigs, minuets and cotillions, popular songs, meeting-house anthems, and harvest ballads and choruses meet together here in a lively and intruiguing program combining music and history. Introducing the pieces will be anecdotes about the roles of music and dance, and concerning Friends of the Revolution Lafayette, Jefferson, Franklin, and Washington. Sondra and John Bromka’s instrumentation for this program includes historic harp, hurdy gurdy, hammer dulcimer, French & English bagpipes, recorders, Baroque oboe, Spanish guitar, and cittern. The cittern, with 8 wire strings, was also known in Colonial America as the 'English guitar.'

The evocative sounds of the arraye of rare historic and folk musical instruments will lead you into the nooks and crannies of France, Spain, Germany, Italy, and the British Isles in a celebration of Christmas traditions in many lands. From festive tunes for dance and procession, to evocative ballads and songs for chorusing - this rich and festive holiday musical program features seasonal aires, songs, and traditions. Instruments include the hurdy gurdy, French and Northumbrian bagpipes, Celtic harp, Swedish nykleharpa, Irish pennywhistle, and much more.

Perfect for A Universe of Stories Summer Reading Program Theme 2019. Dig deep into a cave of the earth--the Sun has been captured by a Fearsome Dragon and hidden away. The HERO of our tale is Bawshou, a young man who courageously rises to the challenge of freeing the Sun. With the help of a golden phoenix, a small parcel of earth, a magic robe, and a heroic dream, Bawshou travels afar to seek out and rescue the Sun, for the good of his people and all the land. Children actively participate as they portray the flowing river, the sounds of the sea, the playing of the gong, the dancing stars, and much much more!
The artists evoke a magical atmosphere in this important Chinese tale, employing authentic oriental techniques and traditions including stylized dramatic forms and movement, mythology, exotic costumes, and unusual musical sounds. Chinese folk instruments (erhu, p’i p’a, guzheng harp, sona, Chinese Theatre drum, flutes & whistles, and gong) are featured, combining to make this unforgettable performance piece a joyous celebration of oriental culture. 'Bawshou' was commissioned by the Springfield MA Museum of Fine Arts in 1994. (see accompanying Chinese Dragon Mask Workshop/Parade).

$351- $500

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* Inclusion in this database does not indicate endorsement of any performer
or program by the NYS Education Department, the Office of Cultural Education, the NYS Library or the participating
library systems, nor does it eliminate the need for reference checks and appropriate standard screening procedures.